08 May 2020

Former GB hockey player Suzy Petty talks frankly about living with an eating disorder in lockdown

Former Great Britain hockey player Suzy Perry has spoken about how she is coping with her eating disorder in lockdown.

Perry, 28, has had bulimia for the past ten years.

“It's changed my life. Being stuck at home I find really tough. I love going outside, I'm sporty, I play hockey and I'm used to doing that,” she said.

"I was finding my walks were longer than usual, my runs were longer than usual. That's kind of related to having an eating disorder as well.

"In regard to my eating, I set myself some goals at the start of lockdown. I set myself like a three-week goal, a structure.

"I made sure I ate at the right times. I tried to not work near the fridge. But, as the weeks have kind of gone on, it's probably got worse."

Her bulimia began when her grandfather died when she was in her late teens.

"I didn't really mourn. I just got on with my life. I went to the gym every single day. At lunch and after school. I think that was my way of coping.

"Being in the toilet and being sick has got to be the lowest point of being bulimic. Your eyes are watering. You are being sick in a friend's toilet, in a restaurant or in your own loo. That is fundamentally horrendous.  

"Every time I do it, every single time I say: 'Suzy, you are not going to do this again. Think how awful this feels.'  

"I've come out of that loo so many times crying my eyes out, hating myself. It's dreadful, but, sadly, that's an eating disorder and it's a habit."

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